Method of preserving bananas.



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HUGH EDWARD IPLUNKETT, 0F MALDEN, MASSACHUSETTS, 'ASSIGNOR; BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO UNITED STATES TROPICAL FOOD COMPANY, OF MALDEN, MASSA-CHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOE 0F PRESERVING BANANAS.

assey.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I,- HUGH EDWARD PLUNKETT, ofMalden, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofPreserving Bananas, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful method of preserving bananas,and has for" its object to enable bananas to be preserved indefinitely,without loss of the natural softness and flavor of the fruit.

My invention consists in the method or process hereinafter described anddirectly pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention I peel a ripe banana and then subject thebody to the action of steam in a closed receptacle until it is cookedwithout being dried or hardened.

The steam acts to remove the surface stain or discoloration which abanana body usually derives from the mind, this stain being due.

flows from the fruit to the bottom of the receptacle. 1 then subject thecooked body to dry air, preferably at a temperature of from 70 to 100?F. until a crust'is formed on its surface, the interior remaining soft.

The crust thus formed enables the body to retain its shape when packedto'exclude air wrapping it in a flexible covering which is:

practically impervious to air, a suitable covis preferable to assemble anumber 'of bodies thus treated in a can or jar, when syrup is .employed,orin a box or other package, not

Specification of Letters Patent;

employed,

I then exclude air from the cooked Patented May 11,1915.

- Application filed June 6, 1914. Serial No. 843,550.

necessarilyliquid tight, when syrup is not each body being preferablywrapped separately and the assemblage of bodies inclosed in a package orwrapper, the

, bodies-being closely packed like dates and The described product willkeep a long time without change. It may beused for filling of :chocolatecreams, the body being cut into sections which may be coated with amixture of starchan'd sugarand then dipped in chocolate. It may also beused alone as an article of food, or the preserved body may be crushedand used with ice cream, Whipped cream, college ices, etc. Having thusdescribed the nature of-my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by. Letters Patent of the United States, is

1'. A method ofpreserving bananas which consists, first; in removing theskin, second; in subjecting the body to steam in a closed receptaclewhereby the body is cooked and the stain derived from the rind isremoved, third; in partiallydrying the cooked body to form a surfacecrust thereon leaving the interior in a soft condition, and lastly insurrounding the pulp body to exclude air therefrom.

2. A method of preserving bananas which consists, first;in removing theskin, second; in subjecting the body to steam a closed receptaclewhereby the body is cooked and the stain derived from the rind isremoved,

third; in partially drying the cooked body I to forma surface crustthereonleaving the interior in a soft condition, and lastly in packingthe pulp body to'exclude air thererom.

g In testimony whereof, Ihave signed my name to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 20th day of May, 1914: II

HUGH EDWARD PLUNK'ETT. Witnesses:

GERTRUDE M. MARTIN, HAR0LDJ. HAM.'

